Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
Hancko's Late Header Gives Slovakia 2-1 Win Over Kazakhstan
Slovakia made it two wins from two in the Nations League, beating Kazakhstan 2-1 in Kosice to open up a four-point lead at the top of Group C3. Leo Sauer opened the scoring in the 26th minute, converting from close range, but the lead didn't last long as Ramazan Karimov levelled for Kazakhstan nine minutes later with an effort on the turn from the edge of the box. David Hancko settled it late on, heading in an Ondrej Duda cross with eight minutes to play. The result follows Slovakia's 2-0 win over Moldova in their opener and extends their unbeaten run to five matches under head coach Vladimir Weiss Sr. Kazakhstan remain without a win from two, having drawn 1-1 with the Faroe Islands in their opening fixture.
Rose Lavelle Signs Gotham FC Contract Extension Through 2029
Rose Lavelle has signed a contract extension with Gotham FC through the 2029 NWSL season, keeping the USWNT midfielder with the reigning champions for three more years after her existing deal was set to expire at the end of 2026. "I'm incredibly happy to extend my time with Gotham FC," Lavelle said. "From the moment I arrived, this club has challenged me to keep growing and has given me the opportunity to compete for championships alongside a great group of players and staff." The extension is reported to make use of the NWSL's new High Impact Player rule, with several other clubs said to have made aggressive offers before she opted to stay. Since joining Gotham ahead of the 2024 season, the 31-year-old has made 69 appearances across all competitions, scoring 18 goals, and was named NWSL Championship MVP last season after scoring the winning goal in the final. She has 122 caps for the United States, with 29 goals and 29 assists, and is the only American nominee for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
Tim Ream Retires From USMNT After 86 Caps and 16-Year Career
Tim Ream has retired from international football at 38, ending a 16-year United States career that spanned 86 caps, 33 of them as captain, and two World Cups. Ream made the announcement ahead of a friendly against Chile in his hometown of St. Louis, where he was honoured pitchside before kickoff. "That's it for me. I'm proud of being part of something for 16 years, but it is time to step away from the national team," he told reporters. The Charlotte FC defender made his USMNT debut in 2010 but saw his international career largely stall by 2018, before a resurgence with Fulham earned him a recall and 60 further caps. He was a surprise pick for the 2022 World Cup squad and started throughout the USA's run to the round of 16, before being named captain ahead of this year's home World Cup, where the team again reached the last 16. Ream also won two CONCACAF Nations League titles during his career, scoring his only international goal against Puerto Rico in 2016.
Raphinha Withdraws From Brazil Squad After Thigh Injury in Australia Win
Brazil beat Australia 4-2 in Brisbane, but the win was overshadowed by Raphinha being substituted at half-time with thigh discomfort, before the Barcelona captain was withdrawn from the squad altogether and sent back to his club. Australia led twice through Alessandro Circati and Connor Metcalfe after Vanderson's early opener for Brazil, but Raphinha levelled from the penalty spot right on half-time, his final act before making way for Endrick. Bruno Guimaraes put Brazil ahead in the 69th minute, and Vinicius Junior added a late penalty to complete the win. The Brazilian federation described the issue as "discomfort in his right thigh," the same area where Raphinha has suffered recurring hamstring and thigh problems, including one that ruled him out for two matches at this year's World Cup. He will miss Brazil's upcoming friendly against India in Kolkata on October 3, with Barcelona now awaiting further assessment of the injury.
China Take Gold and Silver in Women's 3m Springboard Diving
China won gold and silver in the women's 3m springboard final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, taking the top two spots on the podium in one of diving's marquee individual events, with Japan claiming bronze in front of a home crowd. The result extends China's near-total control of the diving programme at these Games, a discipline in which the country has traditionally been the dominant force at both Asian and Olympic level. The 3m springboard has long been one of China's strongest individual events, and the one-two finish continues that pattern, with the depth of China's diving programme again proving too strong for the rest of the continent to challenge. Japan's bronze medal continues a solid showing for the hosts in the pool, adding to a diving campaign that has produced multiple podium finishes across the individual and synchronised events already contested in Nagoya. With the women's 3m springboard now decided, China have added another gold to what has already been a dominant medal haul in the diving events at these Games, having also topped the podium in several of the synchronised disciplines earlier in the competition. The women's 3m springboard is contested individually, testing divers across a set list of dives for degree of difficulty and execution, and is traditionally one of the most closely watched events on the diving programme given China's historic strength in the discipline stretching back decades of Olympic and Asian Games competition.
China Sweep Track Cycling Team Pursuit and Keirin Golds
China continued their dominant run on the track at the Aichi Velodrome, sweeping all three track cycling golds on offer, winning the men's and women's team pursuit titles as well as the women's keirin. In the men's team pursuit, China's quartet powered to gold, with Japan taking silver in front of the home crowd and South Korea settling for bronze. The women's team pursuit followed the same pattern, with China again topping the podium, Japan again taking silver and South Korea again claiming bronze, giving the two nations a matching set of medals across both team pursuit events. China then completed the sweep in the women's keirin, filling both the gold and silver positions on the podium, with Malaysia the only nation to break up a Chinese one-two by claiming bronze. The result underlines China's strength in depth on the sprint side of the track programme, coming on the same day their team sprint squads had already topped the podium in both the men's and women's events. The results continue a dominant week for China's track cycling programme at these Games, having already swept both team sprint golds earlier on the programme. With the pursuit and keirin titles now added to their tally, China have won every team pursuit and sprint gold contested so far at the Aichi Velodrome, leaving Japan and South Korea to fight for the remaining minor medals as the track programme heads toward its individual sprint and omnium events later in the week.
China Sweep Both Canoe Slalom Golds as Japan and Kazakhstan Share Silver
China won both canoe slalom golds on offer at the Asian Games in Nagoya, topping the podium in the men's kayak single and the women's canoe single, with the host nation and Kazakhstan picking up the minor medals across the two finals. In the men's kayak single, China's paddler navigated the whitewater course to win gold, finishing ahead of Japan , who claimed silver in front of a home crowd, with Kazakhstan taking bronze to complete the podium. The event marked one of the highlights of the slalom programme at these Games, held on a purpose-built course as part of Nagoya's water sports venues. China backed that result up in the women's canoe single final, again topping the podium, with Thailand producing a strong run to claim silver and Kazakhstan picking up a second bronze of the day in slalom to add to their men's medal. The results continue China's strong showing across the paddling disciplines at these Games, having already featured prominently on the medal table in the flatwater canoe sprint programme earlier in the competition. Canoe slalom has a smaller footprint at the Asian Games than at the Olympics, with only two events on the programme in Nagoya, but both finals produced closely fought racing on a technical course that tested athletes' handling through the gates. With both golds now decided, canoe slalom's competition at these Games has concluded, closing out one of the more technically demanding disciplines on the Aichi-Nagoya sporting calendar.
India Complete Compound Archery Clean Sweep With Men's Team Gold
India's men's compound archery team completed a remarkable clean sweep for the country in the discipline, beating China in the final to win gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. China settled for silver, with Chinese Taipei taking bronze to round out the podium. The win means India's compound archers have now topped the podium in all three team events at these Games — women's, mixed and men's — after the women's team beat China to equal the world record on Wednesday, and the mixed pair of Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav won a tense shoot-off against South Korea just hours later on the same day. Compound archery has become one of India's most productive disciplines at these Games, building on a run of strong results at recent continental and world-level events. The men's team gold adds to a growing reputation for India's compound squad, which has increasingly closed the gap on traditional powerhouses China and South Korea in recent seasons. Sweeping all three team titles at a single edition of the Asian Games is a rare achievement, underlining the depth India now has across its men's, women's and mixed compound rosters. The result also continues a red-hot day for the Indian contingent in archery, with two golds secured within hours of each other in the space of a single session at the Nagoya venue. With the team events now concluded, attention in the compound discipline turns to the individual competitions, where India's archers will look to add further medals to an already outstanding campaign in Aichi-Nagoya. It is India's ninth gold of the Games.
China's Hu Zhaoshan Wins Men's Kayak Single Gold as Canoe Slalom Finals Begin
China's Hu Zhaoshan won the men's kayak single gold in canoe slalom at the Asian Games in Toyota, the first canoe slalom medal event decided at these Games. Japan's Yuuki Tanaka took silver on home water, with Kazakhstan's Alexandr Korobov claiming bronze. More canoe slalom finals, including the men's and women's canoe single and the kayak cross events, are still to be decided through to October 2.
Chikitha-Sahil Win Compound Mixed Team Archery Gold in Shoot-Off Thriller
India's Chikitha Taniparthi and Sahil Jadhav won the compound mixed team archery gold at the Asian Games, beating South Korea in a shoot-off thriller in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday, just hours after Chikitha had already struck gold in the women's team event. The final went to a decider after both sides finished level. Chikitha and Sahil started strongly, with both archers scoring 10s in their opening shots, before South Korea's pair matched them to make it 20-20 after four arrows. Chikitha's final arrow scored a 9, but Sahil's 10 was enough to tie the contest and force a shoot-off. In the decider, Sahil again found a 10, and South Korea's Choi needed a 9 or better to stay alive but could only manage a 9, handing India the gold. The win also secured India's qualification quota for the compound mixed team event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where the discipline will make its Olympic debut. It was India's eighth gold of these Games, taking their overall medal tally to 54, with 21 silver and 25 bronze.
ICC to Reveal 2027 Cricket World Cup Schedule on October 1 in Cape Town
The ICC and Cricket South Africa will jointly announce the full schedule for the 2027 Men's Cricket World Cup at an event in Cape Town on Thursday, October 1, marking the one-year countdown to the tournament. The event will also launch the ticket ballot, with fans able to register from October 1, though tickets will not go on general sale immediately. The 2027 World Cup will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, running from October to November 2027, and will expand to a 14-team format for the first time. Ten of those spots are expected to be confirmed via ICC ODI rankings by the September 30 cutoff, with the remaining four decided through qualifiers. The tournament will introduce a new three-stage format designed to add greater stakes to matches throughout the competition, rather than the straightforward group-and-knockout structure used in recent editions.
Ndoye Inspires Switzerland to 3-0 Win Over Ten-Man Scotland
Switzerland made it two wins from two in the Nations League, beating ten-man Scotland 3-0 at Hampden Park to hand new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli a heavy defeat in his first home game in charge. Scotland's night was derailed early when Jack Hendry was sent off inside the first ten minutes, and Switzerland made the advantage tell through Ricardo Rodriguez's curling free-kick in the 12th minute. Nico Elvedi doubled the lead just after the hour, sweeping home a Dan Ndoye cross, before Zeki Amdouni completed the scoring in the 82nd minute, finishing off another Ndoye assist. Ndoye was involved in all three goals, becoming the first Switzerland player with three direct goal involvements in a Nations League match since Haris Seferovic in 2018. The result puts Switzerland five points clear at the top of Group B1, with Scotland still searching for their first point.
Kane's Record 87th Goal Seals England Win Over Ten-Man Czechia
England got their Nations League campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over ten-man Czechia in Prague, Harry Kane scoring his 87th international goal to extend his all-time England scoring record, as the Three Lions kept their first clean sheet in seven matches. Czechia were reduced to ten men in the first half when Pavel Sulc was sent off following a VAR review, and England made the numerical advantage count two minutes into the second half, Trent Alexander-Arnold , making his first international start in almost two years, crossing for Anthony Gordon to head home his third successive goal for the Three Lions. Kane settled the contest in the 69th minute, sweeping in a low finish after Eberechi Eze's pass broke to him via a deflection off Ladislav Krejci. Kane was withdrawn immediately after his goal to manage his workload, with Jude Bellingham coming on to captain the side for the closing stages, having been rested from the start. Head coach Thomas Tuchel later revealed Bellingham picked up "a little niggle" late on, but is hopeful the midfielder will be fit for the trip to face Croatia. The win moves England up to second in Group A3, behind leaders Spain.
Yamal Brace Sends Spain to Record 40-Match Unbeaten Run With Croatia Rout
Spain became the first international team to go 40 matches unbeaten, thrashing Croatia 4-1 in Seville behind a Lamine Yamal brace, to open a three-point lead at the top of Nations League Group A3. Yamal struck inside two minutes, latching onto a low ball after Marc Cucurella's run down the left, and turned provider three minutes later, setting up Marc Pubill to head in Spain's second. Croatia hit back before the break through Dion Drena Beljo's header from an Ivan Perisic cross, making it 2-1 at half-time in Spain's first home game since winning the World Cup in July. Yamal completed his brace in the 63rd minute, powering in at the near post after a Pedri pass, before Nico Williams added a fourth in the 89th minute to wrap up the win. The result extends Spain's unbeaten run, built on 31 wins and nine draws, to a world-record 40 matches, four days after their 3-2 comeback win over England at Wembley.
September 30 Cut-Off Decides 2027 World Cup Automatic Qualifiers, West Indies Miss Out
September 30 marks the cut-off for direct qualification to the 2027 ODI World Cup, with the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings on this date, excluding co-hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, securing automatic entry alongside the two host nations. Afghanistan confirmed their place in the automatic bracket after beating Ireland in the third ODI of their series, joining India, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England and Bangladesh among the top eight. Two-time champions West Indies , ranked 10th, missed out despite two ODIs against India still to come before the deadline, as even a clean sweep would not have been enough to break into the top eight. Ireland also fall outside the automatic places. West Indies and Ireland, as the two lowest-ranked non-host Full Members, will instead head to a 10-team Qualifier alongside the top four finishers from Cricket World Cup League 2 and the top four from a separate Qualifier Playoff. Only the top four teams from that Qualifier will advance to next year's tournament in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
China Beat Japan to Women's Volleyball Gold
China won the women's volleyball gold at the Asian Games, beating Japan in the final, with Thailand taking bronze. The result continues China's strong recent record in the event on home continental soil, with the men's tournament still to be completed later in the Games.
South Korea Win Handball and Baseball Golds, Bahrain Upset Men's Handball
South Korea won handball's women's gold and baseball's title, while Bahrain pulled off a surprise win in the men's handball final at the Asian Games. In handball, South Korea's women beat Japan to gold with China taking bronze, while Bahrain upset the field to win the men's title ahead of Qatar, with Japan settling for bronze. In baseball, South Korea won the men's gold ahead of Japan, with Chinese Taipei taking bronze.
China Sweep Artistic Swimming, Split Trampoline Golds With Japan
China swept both artistic swimming golds at the Asian Games, while China and Japan split the men's and women's trampoline gymnastics titles. In artistic swimming, China's Yanjun Lin and Huiyan Xu won the duet gold ahead of Japan and Kazakhstan, before China completed the double in the mixed team event, again ahead of Japan and Kazakhstan. In trampoline, China's Langyu Yan won the men's title ahead of compatriot Zisai Wang, with Kazakhstan's Yerlan Tasmagambetov taking bronze. Japan's Hikaru Mori won the women's gold ahead of teammate Megu Uyama, with China's Zheng Qiu settling for bronze.
China Sweep Team Sprint Golds in Track Cycling
China swept the team sprint golds in track cycling at the Asian Games, winning both the men's and women's titles at the Aichi Velodrome. In the men's event, China beat Japan to gold with Hong Kong taking bronze. The Chinese women then completed the sweep, topping the podium ahead of Malaysia's silver medallists and Chinese Taipei's bronze medallists.
Japan Sweep BMX Racing Golds, Split Freestyle Titles With China
Japan and China shared the BMX golds at the Asian Games, with Japan sweeping BMX racing and freestyle events split between the two nations. In BMX racing, Japan's Asuma Nakai and Hyoga Kiuchi went 1-2 in the men's final, while Sae Hatakeyama won the women's title ahead of China's Wanyi Liao and Indonesia's Jasmine Azzahra Setyobudi. In freestyle BMX park, China's Sibei Sun won the women's title ahead of Japan's Miharu Ozawa, while Japan's Rimu Nakamura topped the men's event ahead of compatriot Kaede Ozawa.
India's Women Retain Compound Archery Team Gold, Equal World Record
India's women's compound archery team of Jyothi Surekha Vennam , Chikitha Taniparthi and Prithika Pradeep retained their Asian Games title, beating China 238-234 in the final to equal the World Record score and successfully defend the gold they won at Hangzhou 2023. The Indian trio had earlier come through a tense semi-final against South Korea, winning 234-233, to set up the summit clash at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park. Vennam, one of India's most decorated compound archers, added another major team title to a career that already includes a mixed team Asian Games gold from Hangzhou. The win continues India's dominance in women's compound archery on the continental stage, having also topped the podium in the same event at the last two editions of the Asian Archery Championships.
Weightlifting Concludes at Asian Games, North Korea Finish Top With Seven Golds
Weightlifting concluded at the Asian Games in Nagoya with its final four weight categories, won by Uzbekistan , China (twice) and Iran , closing out a competition that North Korea dominated overall. Uzbekistan's Akbar Djuraev won men's 110kg gold, with Turkmenistan's Shahzadbek Matyakubov taking silver and China's Huanhua Liu bronze. China then won both remaining women's categories: Yan Wu took 86kg gold ahead of Bahrain and Iran, and Wenwen Li won the +86kg superheavyweight title ahead of South Korea and Qatar. The men's competition closed with the heaviest category, +110kg, where Iran's Ali Davoudi won gold, Iraq's Ali Ammar Yusur Rubaiawi took silver and Bahrain's Gor Minasyan bronze. Across the 16 weight categories, North Korea finished as the leading nation with seven golds, well clear of China's five and Iran's two, with Indonesia and Uzbekistan winning one each. North Korea's haul included a world record from Ri Song-gum in the women's 49kg on the opening day.
Kuwait Sweep Men's Trap Shooting Golds Through Khaled Almudhaf
Kuwait swept the men's trap shooting golds at the Asian Games in Nagoya, with Khaled Almudhaf winning the individual title and Kuwait also topping the team event. In the individual final, Almudhaf beat Chinese Taipei's Kun-Pi Yang to gold, with China's Ying Qi taking bronze. Kuwait then won the team event as well, ahead of Qatar and Kazakhstan. The results cap a strong week for trap shooters from the Gulf. Kuwait's Hajar Abdulmalik also took individual bronze in the women's trap final on the same day, an event won by India's Neeru Dhanda with a Games-record score, with China's Yunong Sun taking silver.
Obiena Wins Pole Vault Gold as Bahrain's Balew Completes Distance Double on Final Athletics Day
Athletics wrapped up its Asian Games programme in Nagoya on Tuesday with golds for Japan , Bahrain , the Philippines and China , headlined by Ernest John Obiena's pole vault win and another distance gold for Bahrain. Distance. Bahrain's Birhanu Balew added the men's 5000m to his 10,000m title from earlier in the week. China's Hongjiao Wu won the women's 800m, with Bahrain's Nelly Korir , already a 1500m champion at these Games, taking silver and the Philippines' Victoria Bossong bronze. Track. Japan's Ko Ochiai won the men's 800m ahead of Iran's Ali Amirian and Qatar's Abubaker Abdalla. Japan also won the men's 4x400m relay, with Qatar taking silver. China won the mixed 4x100m relay, with Thailand second. Field. The Philippines' Ernest John Obiena , a two-time World Championship medallist, won men's pole vault gold ahead of two Chinese vaulters. China's Jiale Zhang won the women's hammer throw, with teammate Jie Zhao taking silver and Japan bronze. Uzbekistan's Barnokhon Sayfullaeva won the women's high jump, with Kazakhstan taking silver. With the final events decided, the athletics competition at Aichi-Nagoya is now complete.